1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an indoor unit of an air conditioner which is simply constructed and can be easily assembled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, an air conditioner is an appliance for satisfying a desire of human beings to live in a more comfortable environment, and is used for controlling and maintaining the temperature of a room.
The air conditioner includes a compressor for compressing an evaporated refrigerant, a condenser for absorbing a heat from a compressed refrigerant and discharging the heat to an atmosphere so that the refrigerant can be liquified, an expansion valve for reducing a pressure of the liquified refrigerant and expanding the refrigerant, and an evaporator which evaporates the refrigerant thereby absorbing a heat from a periphery thereof. Those elements are connected to each other by means of pipes through which a refrigerant passes. The phase of the refrigerant is changed while repeatedly circulating through the pipes, thereby absorbing the heat from the atmosphere or discharging the heat to the atmosphere.
Generally, the air conditioner is divided into an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve are accommodated in the outdoor unit, and the evaporator and a blow fan are accommodated in the indoor unit.
FIG. 4 shows an indoor unit 500 of a conventional air conditioner. As shown in FIG. 4, indoor unit 500 of the conventional air conditioner has a housing 510 including a front frame 300 and a rear frame 400 coupled to front frame 300.
Provided in housing 510 are an evaporator (not shown) for generating a chilled air, a blow fan 470 for blowing the chilled air towards the room, a motor 460 for rotating blow fan 470, and a drain pan 450 for receiving and discharging a defrost water dropped from the evaporator.
In order to allow those elements to be installed in housing 510, rear frame 400 is formed with an evaporator seat 410, a recess 420 for receiving blow fan 470, and a motor seat 430.
Evaporator seat 410 is formed at an inner upper portion of rear frame 400 and recess 420 is formed below evaporator seat 410. In addition, motor seat 430 is positioned on the right of recess 420 and a connection member 440 having a hollow portion 441 therein is provided between motor seat 430 and recess 420. Recess 420 has first and second coupling holes 422 and 424 at side walls thereof for coupling blow fan 470. Second coupling hole 424 is communicated with hollow portion 441 of connection member 440.
Blow fan 470 has a center shaft 472. A first end of center shaft 472 is rotatably coupled to bearing 476 and a second end of center shaft 472 is formed with an insert hole 474 into which a motor shaft 462 of motor 460 is inserted. In addition, first and second fixing plate 452 and 453 are upwardly protruded at upper portions of both side ends of drain pan 450, respectively. First and second fixing plate 452 and 453 have first and second apertures 454 and 455, respectively.
Conventional indoor unit 500 having the above construction is assembled as follows.
Firstly, motor 460 is installed in motor seat 430 in such a manner that motor shaft 462 extends towards hollow portion 441 of connection member 440. Then, blow fan 470 is received in recess 420. At this time, the second end of center shaft 472 of blow fan 470 extends into hollow portion 441 of connection member 440 passing through second coupling hole 424 so that motor shaft 462 is inserted into insert hole 474 of center shaft 472. In addition, the first end of center shaft 472, which is coupled with bearing 476, is inserted into first coupling hole 422 formed at the side wall of recess 420.
Next, the user puts an upper thruhole 484 of a first bracket 480 on a first screw hole 442 formed at a front upper portion of connection member 440 and secures an upper portion of first bracket 480 to connection member 440 by using a first screw 482. In addition, the user puts a lower thruhole 486 of first bracket 480 on a second screw hole 444 formed at a front lower portion of connection member 440 and puts first aperture 454 of first fixing plate 452 on lower thruhole 486 of first bracket 480. In this state, the user secures first fixing plate 452 and the lower end of first bracket 480 to connection member 440 by using a second screw 456. Accordingly, the second end of center shaft 472 of blow fan 470 and motor shaft 462 coupled to the second end of center shaft 472 are supported in hollow portion 441 of connection member 440 by first bracket 480.
Then, the user puts an upper thruhole 492 of a second bracket 490 on a third screw hole 426 formed at an inner wall of rear frame 400 and secures an upper portion of second bracket 490 to the inner wall of rear frame 400 by using a third screw 496. In addition, the user puts a lower thruhole 494 of second bracket 490 on a fourth screw hole 428 formed below third screw hole 426, and puts second aperture 455 of second fixing plate 453 on lower thruhole 494 of second bracket 490. In this state, the user secures second fixing plate 453 and the lower end of second bracket 490 to the inner wall of rear frame 400 by using a fourth screw 457. Accordingly, the first end of center shaft 472 of blow fan 470 is stably supported in first coupling hole 422.
Finally, front frame 300 is coupled to rear frame 400 so that indoor unit 500 is completed.
However, indoor unit 500 requires first and second brackets 480 and 490 for fixing blow fan 470 and drain pan 450 to rear frame 400. In addition, first and second brackets 480 and 490 must be fixed to rear frame 400 by using screws. For these reasons, many elements and assembling steps are required to manufacture indoor unit 500.